July 14th
Paris Je T'aime* (15)
Screen on the Green, Islington

Fra 2006. Victoires International/Pirol Film. 120m.

Appropriately for Bastille Day, I saw this compilation of 18 vignettes set in most of the various districts of Paris, "the city of love".
Typically, it's a VERY mixed bag, with many of the segments resembling extended commercials or trailers, and the subjects range from conventional French romance to animated mime clowns in love - there is even a vampire tale featuring Elijah Wood. Other segments seem to stop short just when the characters are becoming interesting, whilst on the other hand they leave the audience to pleasantly imagine what happens next.

Producers: Emmanuel Benbiby, Claudie Ossard.

"Montmartre": w, d: Bruno Padalydes; s: Bruno Podalydes, Florence Muller.

"Quais de Seine": w: Paul Mayeda Berges, Gurinder Chadha; d: Gurinder Chadha; s: Leila Bekhti, Cyril Descours.

"Le Marais": w, d: Gus Van Sant; s: Gaspard Ulliel, Elias McConnell, Marianne Faithful.

"Tuileries": w, d: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, s: Steve Buscemi.

"Loin du 16e": w, d: Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas; s: Catalina Sandino Moreno.

"Porte de Choisy": w: Gabrielle Keng, Kathy Li, Christopher Doyle; d: Christopher Doyle; s: Barbet Schroeder, Li Xin.

"Bastille": w, d: Isabel Coixet; s: Sergio Castillitto, Miranda Richardson.

"Place des Victoires": w, d: Nobuhiro Suwa; s: Juliette Binoche, Hippolyte Girardot, Willem Dafoe.

"Tour Eiffel": w, d: Sylvain Chomet; s: Paul Putner, Yolande Moreau.

"Parc Monceau": w, d: Alfonso Cuaron; s: Nick Nolte, Ludivine Sagnier.

"Quartier des Enfants Rouges": w, d: Oliver Schmitz; s: Aissa Maiga, Seydou Boro.

"Place des fetes": w, d: Richard LaGravenese; s: Bob Hoskins, Fanny Ardant.

"Quartier de la Madeleine": d: Vincenzo Natali; s: Elijah Wood, Olga Kurylenko, Wes Craven.

"Pere-Lachaise": w, d: Wes Craven; d: Rufus Sewell, Emily Mortimer, Alexander Payne.

"Faubourg Saint-Denis": w, d: Tom Tykwer; s: Natalie Portman, Melchior Beslon.

"Quartier Latin": w: Gena Rowlands; d: Gerard Depardieu; s: Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Gerard Depardieu.

"14e arrondisement": w, d: Alexander Payne; s: Margo Martindale.

Photography: David Quesemand; Bruno Delbonnel; Eric Gautier; Kathy Li; Pascal Marti; Eric Guichard; Tetsuo Nagata; Frank Griebe; Michael Seresin; and others.
Music: Pierre Adenot, and others.